Laxatives to Lose Weight

When looking for ways how to lose weight, many people resort to desperate measures. One of the more popular “desperate measure” is taking laxatives to lose weight. Most people resort to laxatives to lose weight simply because of a lack of understanding of how the body handles fat.

What do laxatives do

Laxatives help in bowel movement. In the process, laxatives remove a lot of water from the body. This whole process dehydrates the body. Excessive use of laxatives can dangerously dehydrate the body. In the process of removing fluids from the large intestines, it also removes a lot of minerals in the process.

Laxatives to help to cut weight in the body. This happens when fluids are removed from the body. When you lose water, you obviously become lighter. Laxatives also help remove the bowel content which again helps to cut your body weight. Once again, when 1 or 2 pounds of feces is removed from your body, you instantly feel and weigh lighter.

Fundamentals of Weight Loss

There are a fundamental laws that govern fat storage in your body. This Law of Fat Storage states that excess calories will be stored as fat. The Law of Fat Loss states that the only way to remove fat from the body is by burning it. With the Law of Fat Loss, you can very easily differentiate the fads from the authentic weight loss methods. People need to ask themselves how taking laxatives is going to help the process of fat burning in the body.

Desperation or ignorance

There can only be two reasons for people resorting to laxatives to lose weight. The first reason could be sheer desperation. People are so obsessed with reducing the number on the scales that they use laxatives. Reducing the number on the scales is exactly what laxatives do by removing water and feces from your body. This weight loss is temporary as your body will try to recoup the water loss. You body will also be producing feces again before you know it. People would not fall for these fads if they understood the difference between weight loss and fat loss.

Laxative side-effects

Continuous consumption of laxatives can have some nasty side-effects. These include intestinal bleeding and severe dehydration. One of the nastiest of side-effects is the development of dependence. When someone has taken too much laxatives, their bowel just won’t move without laxatives. To get around this, they need to take more laxatives which makes the problem worse.

Laxatives do not help weight loss

Laxatives are the last thing you should be taking to lose weight. There is no benefit what so ever. Whatever weight loss you see is only temporary from dehydration and bowel movement. Only take laxatives if your doctor advises to do so. Otherwise, stay as far from it as you can.

Dr Jasvin and Suresh discuss about some of the finer points of taking laxatives to lose weight in the video above. They discuss what laxatives do in your body and some of the potential side-effects. Anyone taking laxatives to lose weight or considering taking it, should watch this video.

Video Transcript of Laxatives to Lose Weight

[Suresh] Today we have a very interesting topic to share with the audience called laxatives to lose weight. Dr Jasvin would you be able to tell us some of the major laxatives in the market out there.

Different types of laxatives

[Dr Jasvin] There are many different types of laxatives. There are medications such as lactuluse or visacodyl to increase gut activity. Then you have herbal products such as senna leaves, castor oil, cascara and aloe. Some people even use natural methods like psyillium fibre or isphagula husk which can actually increase the bulk of your stool and ease constipation. These are some of the major laxatives which are normally used.

[Suresh] So why do people take laxatives and how does it work for weight loss.

[Dr Jasvin] We need to understand that laxatives are generally for people who are constipated and cannot go to toilet regularly. They feel that laxatives may change their bowel habits. On the other hand, some people actually take laxatives for all the wrong reasons. They think that if they increase their gut motility, they can lose weight by actually reducing their calorie absorption

Do laxatives cut calorie absorption?

[Suresh] Does it really cut calorie absorption?

[Dr Jasvin] Well it does not because laxatives work at the large bowels or intestines. Most of the calorie absorption occurs in the small intestines. Mostly water and minerals are absorbed in the large intestines. You don’t actually get much calorie absorption in the large intestines. The laxatives are just decreasing water absorption and essential minerals.

[Suresh] That may not be good. You may get the illusion of weight loss as you may have lost water but you get side-effects from the loss of minerals

[Dr Jasvin] Exactly. You may get initial weight loss from water loss. If you clear your bowels, you may lose another 1 or 2 kilos off weight. But if you go back to your normal diet and you have consumed some water, you actually put back all the weight within 48 hours.

[Suresh] So you are not actually burning any fat?

[Dr Jasvin] No, not unless you are reducing your calorie consumption.

Laxative side-effects

[Suresh] Are there any side-effects from taking these laxatives?

[Dr Jasvin] Quite a few. It can actually even damage your gastrointestinal tract.

[Suresh] If it is taken too regularly?

[Dr Jasvin] Yes. The other thing is that people can develop diarrhea, dehydration from the lack of water absorption and essential mineral loss. Some people start vomiting and with repeated diarrhea you also get a lot of bleeding. You get tears in the anal region. You can indeed get a lot of side-effects from laxatives.

[Suresh] Are there any natural means of creating this laxative effect if people seem do have constipation.

[Dr Jasvin] I will just get back to that. One other thing I want to say is that a lot of people who use laxatives all the time actually develop dependence on these products.

[Suresh] So their own system does not work properly

[Dr Jasvin] No it does not work properly. When you stop taking these laxatives, you cannot actually go to toilet as normal.

[Suresh] That is bad.

[Dr Jasvin] And back to your question of natural laxatives, exercise is a very good natural laxative. Increasing fibre in your diet is another option because that increases bulk in the stool and helps you go to toilet regularly. This is for people who are constipated. They do not have a normal routine.

[Suresh] So basically the best way to get the laxative effect and more sustainable weight loss is through the natural way of eating properly and exercising.

Comments

Wow I have to say that this article is absolutely hilarious, in the sense that it is not correct. However, I do agree, do not use laxative to loose weight, unless you don’t give a damn about your health. When I was a young teen I abused laxatives to loose weight. In the long run it made me sick. I became lactose intolerant and had chronic diarrhea. However, you do loose weight with laxatives, but besides the water loss most of it is psychological: because you know that you are harming your body and you don’t want to harm it for nothing, so you also start eating less. It’s a vicious cycle and one cannot easily get out of it. so don’t start it, because laxatives are addictive!

My body was addicted to laxatives. I had gotten so dependent that I was taking a strong laxative with cascara segrada in order to have a BM. Sometimes I would go 4-5 days without eliminating. I knew I had a serious problem So, I went to a GI doctor and I had a colonoscopy done. Everything was normal except a few mild hemorrhoids.

I was told to wean off all laxatives except psyllium, lots of water, lots of fruits, whole grains and veggies.

If i may add, that remember not to skip meals. Proper diet means eating the right food at the right time. When you are hungry, never hesitate to eat some fruits. Fruits are better substitute for burgers or cakes which are high fat and high caloric foods. Along with abstinence from drinking soft drinks and other beverages, a healthy diet will give you a remarkable progress.

Lose Weigth may be become easy if you pay attention to the daily life .such as ,eat a good breakfast and a well lunch and less dinner .Far away form the high fat and high heat food ,but if you eat less and to do many exercise in one day ,you can eat less high fat food you like ,but just little .And drink more water ,remember it is water ,not soft drinks .

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